


Stitches

by Flightless_Bird



Series: Stitches [1]
Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Drabble, Implied Injuries, Post-Strex Kevin, Post-strex au, i dont know what else to tag, in which night vale accepts and rehabilitates desert bluffs citizens, including kevin and forced employees of strexcorp, kevin is insecure and trying very hard, quite ooc, short as heck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-17
Updated: 2018-03-17
Packaged: 2019-04-03 20:06:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14003706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flightless_Bird/pseuds/Flightless_Bird
Summary: In which Mayor Cardinal has chosen to accept and rehabilitate members of Desert Bluffs into Night Vale, including forced StrexCorp employees. This means that our favorite DBCR radio host will be back in town, for good. Congratulations Kevin! Welcome to Night Vale, where you will feel like yourself again, but also not yourself at all, where you will have a voice, but you will never be a Voice, and where we will always accept you with tight smiles and shaking arms.





	Stitches

**Author's Note:**

> This AU has been in my head for ages, and I’m writing little snippets that pop up because I desperately want post-strex Kevin to be happy and loved.  
> Warning: Kevin is very out of character in this. In this au, StrexCorp employees have been fully rehabilitated. So Kevin, while not entirely his normal self, is very much not the cheerful, crazy radio host we know. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this if you read on and don’t be shy to tell me what you think!

“Please state your name and past employer.”

  
“Kevin. Desert Bluffs Community Radio.”

  
The very nice girl with the very nice smile glanced up from behind her computer screen. It reflected in her white teeth and dove-brown irises. “I’m sorry?” she asked, fingers hovering over her keyboard.

  
Kevin’s grip tightened around the handle of the suitcase. He swallowed and tried quite hard not to feel the phantom weight of a collar around his throat. “Um, Kevin?” he tried again, as though unsure of his own name. “Radio host for Desert Bluffs Community Radio?”

  
The girl’s very nice smile started to go a little lopsided. She didn’t type a single word into the computer. Just looked up at him patiently, like a mother waiting for a stubborn child to apologize.

  
He was dreadfully aware of the people around them in the vast entry-room, the checkin desks and clatter of typing and heels. It reminded him vaguely of business meetings back home and something in him shrank away. Mayor Cardinal hadn’t said it would be this difficult.

  
Conceding at last, he switched his case to his other hand and smoothed down his black tie. “And StrexCorp Synernist Inc.”

  
“Thank you!” The girl (Shirley, someone had called her Shirley earlier) chirped, finally entering his information into the system.

  
From the desk next to hers, a balding man cast them a look over his glasses. The old woman he was helping leaned in to whisper something. Feeling the eyes crawling over him, Kevin stared intently down at his shoes.

  
“All right!” Shirley clapped her hands together and Kevin almost jumped. “You’re all set and registered! Next step is to go ahead and take your things to the baggage area.”

  
“Baggage area?” he echoed.

  
“Yep! Straight back there.” She pointed off to the far end of the room. “They’re just gonna check your things real quick. Quite painless, you’ll be done real soon.” Straightening up in her chair, she peered over at his case. “Are the rest of your things with a family member or something?”

  
Kevin’s ears burned. “N—no, this is all I have.”

  
“Oh… Well, the lighter you travel, the quicker you can enjoy the city while you’re here!”

  
Mumbling a thanks, Kevin left the desk. He didn’t bother to remind her that he was a former citizen of Desert Bluffs and would now become a permanent one of Night Vale. He reached up to rub at the sore place where his collar had once been and wondered if he needed to replace his stitches yet. His heart ached.


End file.
